That works very well for Shakespeare's portrait of the physically and psychologically twisted Richard, who offed anyone (family, foes, whoever) blocking his way to being king of England.

Charting that murderous rise, Spacey flits from silky to snarky to sulky to savage — moods and behaviors subject to change without notice.

One minute, he's curled up in a chair like a contented cat. The next, he's cranked-up, panting and ranting, running arrhythmically due to his deformed leg, which is cuddled in a shiny brace.

And then, he's speaking directly to the audience — alternately cursing them with an evil eye or seducing them with bedroom peepers. Either way, this Richard is way up in our faces. We're part of the monster's push to power.

That complicity is a bright stroke in director Sam Mendes' modern-dress production. Over its 3 1/2 hours, the slice of history is clear, unsettling and amusing, but there are some dull patches. Even so, it's a meaty theatrical meal.

Mendes sets the action on a washed gray wooden set with 18 doors but little else to catch the eye. It is as blank and barren as a cold-blooded killer's heart.

The same is true of the supporting cast. Making vivid impressions are Chandler Williams as the doomed Duke of Clarence; Chuk Iwuji, as Richard's ally, the Duke of Buckingham, and Haydn Gwynne, as Queen Elizabeth, a long way from the dance teacher she played in "Billy Elliot."

Despite the high body count, blood doesn't gush in this revival. Mendes uses it sparely and cleverly. There's a trace of the stuff on a box in a scene that slyly tips its hat to Spacey's serial-killer film "Seven."

The most haunting image arrives in a wooden box, evidence of the monstrous Richard's youngest victim — a pint-sized PJ top gouged with gore. That is horrible. That is the point.

"Richard III" marks the third and final installment of the transatlantic Bridge Project, co-produced by London's Old Vic (where Spacey is artistic director), BAM and Mendes' Neal Street Productions.

The Bridge's swan song provides Spacey the opportunity to show just how good he is at being bad.